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Learjet 25C Revolution

Learjet 25C Revolution

Posted: 26 Mar 2009 21:08

by AADX

For a very long time I've wrestled with what to do with the venerable Lear 25. Originally created very early in v8.. down near 803, and then more at 810 & 811. Created from original factory 1970 training manual and retired corporate pilot supervision.. the flight model and aircraft properties are fantastic. The panel full of gauges are all custom made instruments with fine markings and accurate indications.. and ultimately.. it's just way too nice of an aircraft model to let go. But. because of how much I love it, I did a 3d interior for it too early in my handle on doing 3d and textures. The interior then was very early, first generation style, and compared to 'the norm' today, it's terrible. The body.. is -ACF- based.. which in v7, and through v8.. was the norm.. and what I still feel.. is NOT obsolete or antiquated.. but just has some things to consider as true as tradeoff versus the inordinate amount of time required for 3D OBJ body mesh creation and re-texturing.

Anyway.. I had left the LJ25C as an 8X, intentionally not "calling it" a 9X and just re-releasing it under false pretenses. The LJ25C-8X was otherwise 'left behind' only supported in 8x.. which at this point is approaching 1.5 years the past version.. not supported in 9X, and with really no intent to redo the whole thing in 3D OBJ. The paradox I always came back to, is that I do have the original source materials for it, and what is good, IS REALLY GOOD. the design, the instruments and the flight model. so.... what to do.

I find myself very surprised at the per-pixel specular reflections on ACF BODIED PLANES in 9.30~, so much so that it breathes life back into some beautiful elder models, that are perfectly fine as ACF, enjoy a lower $ price by not having months and months of 3d obj time to recover, and are pleasantly simple aircraft structures that don't require OBJ.. not .. not when 930 gives them an appearance on equal footing to OBJ body aircraft appearance. So with that, the textures DID need some modernization. Namely the mixed lighting and occlusion effects, as well as attend some simple appearance things I've wanted to change, and spiff it up.

Most notable changes include, removal of livery paint design, windows both solid and black (instead of translucent and blue), and the addition of the baked lighting effects. Windows have a more prominent heated metal strip edging, with gradient silver chrome. Cabin windows are broader. But what the change to -solid- for the windows means, is that the 3d interior is removed. The 3d interior has been removed for 2 reasons. So that if the cockpit is redesigned around the now new wide format 2d panel, and so the interior structure may at some point be re-made with much more modern parts and texture methods.

At the present time, the Lear 25 may become a free model in this form. It may be a VIP supported model until further work is done on it in the future. It still may permanently retire and give way to a different Lear model. As I look at the ~rendering~ of the acf bodied Learjet 25 with baked effect paint, and updated window treatments.. I think it's a-okay. But I know that should I decide to engage this model as a 3D OBJ bodied plane.. it'll be months and months in "re-manufacture" to emerge similarly mostly the same as the LJ25C it was before. That is the paradox of having a nice plane in the first place and replacing a nice plane with a bit-nicer model of the same. It's not as striking as a whole new model appearing out of nothing prior...

The 2D panel is 1920x1200. The whole aircraft body structure is all ACF. no -obj- pieces. The Rendered view in blender is as "I see the plane" and shows that the model is not inferior, and shows that the model is perfectly sound. It's just based in acf tech so there are some things to accept. Some of the things that have to be accepted about acf, would mean months on end of re-creation to solve "a couple" squawks. I'm considering a "cockpit" module only, excluding the aft-cabin area that would take more texture and objects to fill and design the apperance of. That just always takes extra time and while ppl think they want to see all that aft cabin area.. to be honest, we are really rarely ever back there 'looking around' -- "while flying"

The rendering is 1600x1200, and shows the model in the way I see it. The screenshots are from 930b7 at 1440x900 (original size) on Macbook Pro 15" with the latest pixel shader effects in action.

Anyone who loves the Learjet 25.. sound off. But before you ask. no.. I'm not going to do a 35 or 45

Re: Learjet 25C Revolution

Posted: 29 Mar 2009 17:14

by sgabriel

I would love to see this project come to fruition, Jason. I run a low-spec Mac set-up with the full line of CH peripherals. I put very high priority on through-the-window ambience and realism in aircraft handling. Your planes very often strike this balance perfectly for me: very precise instrumentation and handling characteristics while delivering excellent fps.

I don't need 3-d anything, frankly; certainly not passenger seats, ashtrays and toilet paper! In short, if you choose to update your acf-based Lear 23 to 9.3 standards, I will be pleased as punch.

sgabriel

Re: Learjet 25C Revolution

Posted: 31 Mar 2009 11:57

by Criminy

Haven't had the chance to take up the new 25 yet, but she looks quite striking. I did recently fly the old .acf 25 from Urumqi to Beijing and it was a scream. Just to put my vote in, I would love a 23. Ditto on the 3D requirements. Lately full 3D interiors have been less a priority for me. I usually like looking at the outside of the plane more when cruising on AP. Better view!

Re: Learjet 25C Revolution

Posted: 02 Apr 2009 17:20

by GlowWorm

Aloha AADx,

Great shots of the Lear25. Can't wait to get my flight status to operational to test it out on my setup. Being down with some sort of a heavy cold sucks.